The thick silence in the car was killing Karan's patience. He was leaving hope every second. The way Preeta's eyebrows had knitted and her eyes were looking at him with no expression. He was drowning in pessimistic thoughts but there was a little corner in his heart which was telling him to have patience and listen to her.
Preeta was already looking at him with blank face. Her eyes were wandering over him whole the time, when he was proposing her. She looked away when she remembered all the deeds Karan had done in her eyes. There was no single way, this person was sane in any corner of his mind.
Her eyes roamed at the beautiful bouquet of red roses and the black velvety box. She could only guess that there must be some ring or bracelet in it considering the size of the box. She slowly pulled out her hands away from Karan's, who were holding hers tightly. Karan let her go because in this moment he was totally focusing on her face. He wanted to read her.
She took the bouquet and box from his hands and held them while looking at him. Karan's heart started bouncing in his chest seeing her holding the flowers and the little box but he didn't show it on his face.
"A girl whose life had always been full of assignments, tests, friends, parents, happiness, hard work and many positive things. One day her luck betrayed her. She did a mistake. A mistake that caused her life to turn totally opposite. The mistake was to walk that day while returning from school."
Karan was quiet, listening to her words attentively. Preeta was saying every word looking into his eyes without any fear.
"My father was forcing me that morning. The sunlight will be unbearable, Preeta. Let me come to receive you. And I refused him. I was worried about Arjun. His father is always busy working in your company. For my best friend, I decided to accompany him that day just like always. He would have to walk alone all the way home. I was aware of his disease. He was weak. I was worried, if he won't get sunstroke or wouldn't start running to reach home soon. But now I wish so much that I should have heard my father. I should have listen to his plea and waited for him at school. I would have never walked with Arjun that day and I would have never met you."
Preeta's voice was calm but their was a venomous tone in her words. Karan could see his heart drowning hearing her words. But he kept on listening.
"From that day, I have never been relaxed, Mr. Luthra. You can never understand how it feels to be extremely depressed. When you blackmailed me for that photo. I was disgusted, tensed. Thinking, what would happen if you uploaded that photo, what would my parents think of me? I was on the verge of giving up. Giving up my life."
Karan's lips parted at her confession. He was really ashamed of himself. At that moment, he was afraid of getting rejected by her. But now he was afraid of even thinking if he didn't get the future he had dreamed of with Preeta. He realised that moment that Preeta meant a lot to him than any other thing in his life.
"When you told me to not to talk to any boy, I followed. I did it actually because I have always avoided talking to them. I am shy and introvert, Mr. Luthra. I only had one best friend, Arjun. He was my only male friend. But now, even he is not with me. I wish that I should have never listened to you. I should have never avoided him. In those six-seven months of avoiding him, I have lost him. When I wasn't there, god sent him another girl who is better than me. I wish that I shouldn't have ignored his calls and may be he would have still be close to me. I could have a hope being with him. He loves her. She loves him too just like me."
Preeta whispered the last part looking at her lap while Karan's heart clenched. He knew already that Arjun liked Preeta as more than friends but he never knew Preeta too liked him. Even loved him.
